E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSAbu Hafs al Mauritani, a former senior adviser to al-Qaida known as 'Mr. Theology', was released from a prison in his home nation of Mauritania in west Africa over the weekend, his family confirmed to the Associated Press.
Sidi Ould Walid said his brother was released after renouncing his ties to the terror network and condemning the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Hafs refused to be interviewed or to be filmed as he left the prison.
On militant forums, jihadists exchanged congratulations over the release.
Hafs was an adviser to Osama Bin Laden who helped form the modern al-Qaida by merging Bin Laden's operation with Ayman al-Zawahri's Islamic Jihad.
Hafs spent years in custody in Iran before being extradited to Mauritania in April. Walid says his brother was interrogated multiple times and his release indicates he is no longer seen as a threat.
An earlier report by the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Abu Hafs' real name is Mahfouz Ould al Walid and he was relocated to Iran after the Taliban's Afghanistan fell in late 2001. It said Iran placed senior al-Qaida leaders under a loose form of house arrest in 2003.
U.S. intelligence officials reported in 2002 that Abu Hafs was killed in an American airstrike, but later said he was alive and in Iran.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Outrage grows after Afghan woman's execution caught on video
- Three UK men charged with terrorism
- Alleged 'buxom bandit' denied bail, charged with armed robbery
- Egypt's new president defies the military, orders parliament to reconvene
- London bomber widow recruiting female terror squads in Somalia
- 6 NATO troops killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan
- Want to get rich in China? Foil a hijacking
Follow World News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
If I did the things that jerk has done, I would never see the light of day again. He should have been executed.
Charles Manson looks like an Eagle Scout compared to the death and destruction Abu Hafs al Mauritani helped orchestrate.
Yes, but he is in Africa, not the US!
Since Mr. Theology studied the islam religion which teaches to kill, will he now be Bin Ladin's replacement? Curious to hear Obama's thoughts on this issue
He was safer in prison. Say "hello" to Mr Drone.
If someone armed bin Laden and trained his team to carry out deadly attacks, they should be.... in DC, yes.
All that mis-directed futile rage!
See his travel route: Afghanistan, Iran and then Mauritania. It will be interesting to see where Mr. Theology will crop up again!
Really? Soros said that Obama is a centrist and not who he would chose to lead the Liberal cause. As a Liberal, I know that he's right. Maybe you folks can line up behind Gordon Gecko Rove Romney, the terminator of all businesses.
Essentially, American government admitted killing a bunch of innocent people while hunting for Mr. Theology. Unfortunately, this type of criminal behavior is replicated in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. How is it permissible for American Drones invading sovereign nations and killing innocent people around the world with impunity?
Where are all the human right watchers? Where are the Hague trials for the criminal American politicians and military leaders who ordered these assassinations ?
This terrorist was safer in prison... don't worry, outside of prison he's in the US cross hairs.
WallStFatCat, to answer your question casualties in a war zone are anticipated. Most of the people killed by predator drones in your scenarios are harboring fugitives who would just as quickly shot down Americna planes. If you think we don't have the right to use drones in Pak and Afghan you're wrong. Yemen, Afghanistan and yes even Pakistan are asking for our help in this regard.
Seems like there is about as much chance of this guy reforming as there is of leopards changing their spots!
Mr. Theology....sounds kinda like the joker, the riddler, the penguin, etc.
Of course, "al-Quaida" is equally as real as Batman.
If you are in fact al-Quaida is a fictional organization, I ask you one question. Who is then responsible for the terrorists acts worldwide that are carried out in their name? I have seen first hand the results of al-Quaida operations and assure you they are very real.
How strange must reality be for you, is your world filled with rainbows and ubicorns?
Retired SFC, I hope my memory is correct, do you work tending furnace at a steel mill? If so, stay cool today, man! Thanks.
No, I don't believe al-Quaida - this menacing terrorist organization reminiscent of cobra from G.I. Joe - is what the government tells us they are. I don't deny there are terrorists, but at best, al-Quaida is a small, loose-knit group of nut-cases that can barely wipe their own @$$es.
Many scholars say the same thing. There have been fake al-Quaida arrested in the Middle East that were actually Mossad agents. They are like Emmanuel Goldstein in 1984. Need bad guys somewhere that you want to invade? Say al-Quaida is there. Even Panetta admitted that there were probably not more than 100 al-Quaida in Afghanistan. Even that number is probably high.
Sure there are terrorists. But there are a lot of false flag operations as well. And there are a lot of manufactured enemies. How the h3ll you going to get all that oil and control of the resources in a country if you don't have an enemy to justify the invasion? How would the banking/military/industrial complex make any money if there weren't imperialistic wars financed by the bank? It's pretty simple.
I live in the world of reality - driven by money and greed. You live in the world of idealism - good guys/bad guys/ - white hats/black hats - the force/the dark side. Laughable to me - but it does make the nasty, chaotic world a little easier to swallow, doesn't it?
"Hafs was an adviser to Osama Bin Laden who helped form the modern al-Qaida by merging Bin Laden's operation with Ayman al-Zawahri's Islamic Jihad."
He is certainly most dangerous.
These people change the labels of their outfits quite easily. So he will start working on some label fitting Africa.
"Who is then responsible for the terrorists acts worldwide that are carried out in their name?"
Well, al-Quaida loosely translates to "the base." As in a political base (or as some researchers have speculated, "the database" - originally named by the CIA when they were using the mujhadeen to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan).
But it also translates to "the toilet" - "the base" would be the toilet for the guest. So, how many terrorists commit acts in the name of "the toilet"? Zero. Many of those supposed al-Quaida websites claiming responsibilty for terrorist acts originate from IP addresses in the US (strange? Not really.) And just because msnbc told you that "unnamed intelligence sources" said al-Quaida did it, that doesn't hold a lot of water for some of us who realize what's really going on.
Bob Bobarino is an independent thinker with some good stuff.
Too bad not enough Americans can see beyond the "unnamed intelligence sources" for the special interest groups which include the war profiteers, war mongers, and military industrial complex. Perhaps, it is excusable; most Americans are the indocrinated students of the government operated public schools.
Bob and WSFC, thank God enough Americans do not believe in or accept the "independent thinking" that people like Bob and you come up with! By the way, I was home schooled and went to private schools as well. If you wish to believe that Al-Qaida does not exist, that is your prerogative as, despite what some may think, this is still a free country. But I would not try to sell the above to majority of the families of/or the victims of 9/11.
Abu Hafs Al Mauritania (MR Theology) is a terrorist who stood next to Osama Bin Laden while the United States was being attacked (9/11) this thug, terrorist should not be left to rejoin a terrorist network, which he is sure to do unless he is either arrested or put down. Obama should be speaking out loud an clear but I fear he will not because Obama HAS SHOWN that he neither cares or wants to support America.
He should be eliminated wherever he hides! Other wise there is no justice in this world.
Mr. Theology? Now that's a handle! Now what does he do? Go home, put on a Burka, and be Miss Congeniality. Anyone who goes by a handle of Mr. Theology has got to be one who's interested in starting conflicts. The only peace they seek is beyond the realms pf the natural world. He's a religious crackpot, out for revenging centuries old ideals. Who let him out of the slammer, Father Knows Best?
This terrorist has been under the radar for the last few years, hopefully he's been under some kind of surveillance, I 'm almost sure he is maybe who ever is tracking him will use him as bait, but I don't think we'll ever know unless or until this dude makes a move, gets caught dead to rights, or swallows a bullet, hopefully the latter.
He is till in the deck of cards and I'll bet still has a bounty on his head. That's why he doesn't want to appear before cameras. The situation has changed indeed. You fail to see the beauty in it. They'll be more people after him than Bonnie and Clyde.
Feel sorry for this guy...No body's told him drones don't give a sh!te about whether his prison thinks he's done enough time. Won't be long before we read that this scumbags been vaporized from 35,000 feet
he and all rad. muslims should be wiped off the face of the earth lets face it God will do it anyway and a lots of socalled church people christans that talk the talk but dont walk the walk you dont walk the walk you are SOL.
What's the difference between a Muslim and a radical Muslim?
Pray Hard:
The main difference is radical muslims get better terrorist training.
One thinks about blowing us up the other tries..........did I win?
It's so thrilling to wake up with Alastaire reporting from where ever this is, honey.
The US Intelligence bunch is like the rest in Washington, D.C. they say what is needed to be said at the time
Why release him? He should be hung by his gonads!
Aww.. looks like somebody needs a drone strike.
I'm sure he meant every word of it too. He seems like a really nice guy, they should let him out.
I suspect the US will grant this joker citizenship here in the USA, and then he can join the 'occupoopers' in NYC. The US taxpayers need another mouth to feed.
He wouldn't lie, just to get out of prison..... right?
"Not seen as a threat"? Really?
This guy and others like him are OBAMA'S hero's. Just look at how RADICAL OBAMA is plus the fact that OBAMA is MUSLIM, creates a very nasty picture in my mind.
"Just look at how RADICAL OBAMA is plus the fact that OBAMA is MUSLIM, creates a very nasty picture in my mind."
Wow! One of the best oxymoronic statements I've ever seen on these boards. Well, okay, in the top fifty.
I hope I never become President Obama's hero. I like breathing air.
"Blazing Saddles 2012" Scene-muleskinner lookout on the top of a building. ACTION! " The President is a BONG! (church bell) NO! Dang nab it! I said the President is a BONG!
Uh huh.
By the way guys, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.
! of 2 things will happen with this guy. He will either return to his original job or be killed. Terror organizations are much like the mafia. You join for life. Of course I would never put it past a terrorist to lie to get out of jail.
If he's a Muslim, he's still a threat. Mr. Theology, my *ss. Religion poisons everything. Islam is plutonium.
On who's order was this guy released???
According to king obama, it's Bush's fault.
And another moron is heard from....
Followers of Islamic cult, especially Sunni Saudi inspired Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days of rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims and killing each other in Muslim nations.
We see Muslims inventing problems in most of the non-Muslim nations and in their own Muslim nations.
We should take Islamic religious Nazis seriously and start acting against them.
It should also include this hating and killing promoter Abu Hafs.
What does "acting against them" include that we're not already doing? We're already occupying their countries - got military bases spread throughout the region - flying drones daily and killing more people than we need to (collateral damage). H3ll, we kill al-Quaida #2 about once every couple of months.
So what is "acting against them" include that we're not already doing? The war with Syria and Iran is at our door-step. Not sure what else you would recommend other than all-out nuclear war.
Bob: Root causes of Islamic radicalism and terrorism are Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
We have been having wrong allies and dancing as Saudis directed in Iraq and they in turn quietly manipulated oil prices quite high and made themselves rich.
If we had not saved barbaric, beastly and bigoted Kuwaiti, Saudi, UAE rulers from Saddam, world would have been a better place.
Barbaric and ungrateful Saudis gave in return their Sunni Islamic extremist Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques all over the world including the US.
Just see how many mosques were there before three decades and now right in the US!
In Syria, Sunni Saudi bigots and their Arab League may meet the Waterloo. Just watch how some troubles will simply vanish.
It will be most foolish to dance again as Saudis want in Syria, Iran and other places.
Let us wait for winners!
Look for this radical in the news and then assess how well prison has reformed him. After that, think about what to do with the rest of the bunch and how to handle them. Of course most of the news audience will forget Hafs in the next news cycle.